Closing and locking device for extension-table pedestals.



- 0; W. MUNZ. I CLOSING AND LOCKING DEVICE FOR EXTENSION TABLE PEDESTALS.

APPLICATION 'IILED OUT. 15,1907. I

906, 1 5.1 Ptented Dec. 3, 1908.

Wit/2 em 65 [n Vfil for W UzarZesM/T 1/22 UNITED STTES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES W. MUNZ, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 8, 1908.

Application filed October 15, 1907. Serial No. 397,517.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES W. MUNZ, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Detroit, in the county of l Vayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Closing and Looking Devices for Extension- Table Pedestals, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates to extension tables of that type in which the central pedestal is formed of separable sections, and it is the object of the invention to obtain a simple construction of mechanism for closing and locking said pedestal sections as hereinafter set forth.

In the drawingsFigure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of the pedestal and the closing and locking device therefor; Fig. 2 is a vertical central section showing the members of the closing and locking device disengaged from each other; and Fig. 3 is a horizontal section showing one of the locking members in plan view.

A and B are the respective sections of the pedestal of an extension table (not shown).

C is a hooked lever or rock arm pivotally secured at D to one of the sections, and E is a cooperating member pivotally secured at F to the opposite section of the pedestal. The pivotal points of the members C and E are preferably in slightly different horizontal planes, so that when both are arranged horizontally the member C will pass beneath the member E.

D is a stop for normally holding the link E in a horizontal plane. The member E is provided with an eye E for engagement with the hook C of the member C, and the length of said members is such that the hook will be brought into registration with the eye before the pedestal sections are completely drawn together. Thus, by raising the lower member C it will be engaged with the eye, and in the further upward movement the members C and E will operate as toggle levers, drawing the two pedestal sections together.

For operating the member E a rod G is connected therewith, which extends up ward through the pedestal, and is connected at its upper end to a crank arm H on the rock shaft 1. This rock shaft is journaled in suitable bearings upon the table, and extends beneath the top thereof to a point near the periphery for a convenient operation, where it is provided with an operating handle J. The parts are preferably so arranged that the pedestal sections will be drawn tightly together as the crank H assumes a vertical position, and by then moving the crank slightly beyond the center against a fixed stop the parts will be locked from accidental disengagement. As illustrated, the rock K, having flanges L and M at opposite ends thereof apertured for the passage of the shaft, and the inner flange L has a struck-out portion N forming the stop for limiting the movement of the crank.

With the construction as thus far described, in operation the, table is closed by moving the sections thereof together in the usual way, but the pedestal sections are seldom completely closed by this operation. To draw them together, theoperator merely rocks the arm J to move the shaft 1 and crank H, the latter drawing upward on the rod G so as to cause the member 0 first to engage its hook C with the eye E of the member E, and then to draw the said members in angular relation, whereby the pedestal sections are drawn together. As long as the parts are left in this position, the pedestal sections will be held from separation, but at any time they may be released by a movement of the rock arm J, which will lower the member C and disengage it from the, member E.

It is important that the adjustment of the parts should be such as to draw the pedestal sections tightly together with the amount of movement imparted to the members C and E by the crank H. I therefore preferably provide an adjustment, and preferably make the member E the adjustable one. As shown, this member consists of the eye portion E, which is provided with a threaded shank a engaging a correspondingly threaded aperture in a U-shaped member I), which terminates in oppositely extending pivot portions 0.

O is a bearing secured to the pedestal section A, and having grooves O therein for the reception of the pivot portions 0.

d is a look nut for holding the shank a in any desired position of adjustment. Thus by loosening the lock nuts 01 the shank a, may be adjusted inward or outward to alter the length of the member E.

lNhat I claim as myinvention is:

1. A closing and locking device for pedesshaft is journaled in a sheet metal bracket tals comprising a pair of links respectively pivoted to said pedestal sections normally arranged in substantially parallel planes, means at the inner ends of said links for engaging each other, and means intermediate said pivotal points for moving said links when engaged in angularrelation to draw said pedestal sections together.

2. A closing and lockin device for pedestals comprising a pair of links having a detachable pivotal connection with each other and each being pivotally connected to one of the pedestal sections, means for holding said links normally in substantially parallel planes, and means connected to one of said links for engaging the same with the other link and for moving said links after such engagement out of parallel planes to draw said pedestal sections together.

3. A closing and locking device for pedestals comprising a link provided with an eye portion and a hooked rock arm respectively pivotally connected to the pedestal sections and normally arranged in different horizontal planes, a rod attached to said hooked rock arm extending upward through said pedestal, and means for drawing upward said rod to engage the hook with said eye and to draw the pedestal sections together.

4. A pedestal closing and locking mechan ism comprising a pair of links normally arranged in substantially parallel planes respectively pivoted to thepedestal sections, means at the inner ends of said links for en gaging each other, means intermediate the pivoted points of said links for'eng'aging and disengaging the inner ends of said links and for moving them in angular relation to each other to draw the sections together, and means for adjusting the length of one of said links.

5. A closing and locking device for pedestals comprising a pair of links respectively pivoted to said pedestal sections normally arranged in different horizontal planes, means for adjusting the length of one of said links, a rod attached to one of said links intermediate its end and its pivotal connection with the pedestal section extending upward through said pedestal, and means or drawin upward said rod to engage one of the linis with the other, and to draw the pedestal sections together.

6. A closing and locking device for pedestal extension tables comprising a hooked member and an eye member pivotally connected respectively to the separable sections of the pedestal and adapted for engagement with each other, a rod extending upward through the pedestal for actuating said hooked member and connected thereto intermediate the ends of said member, a rock shaft journaled in bearings on the under side of said table top, a crank arm actuated thereby and connected to said rod, and a stop on one of said bearings for limiting the movement of said crank slightly beyond the vertical position thereof.

7. A closing and locking device for pedestal extension tables comprising a pair of disengageable links respectively connected to the pedestal sections, a rod for actuating said links extending upward through the pedestal, a rock shaft having a crank arm thereon connected to said rod, and a bearing for said rock shaft comprising a metal strip extending longitudinally of the shaft and having flanges at its opposite ends apertured for the passage of said shaft, and a lug struck outward from one of said flanges forming a stop for limiting the movement of said crank.

8. A closing and locking device for pedestals comprising a pair of links respectively pivoted to saidpedestal sections, means at the inner ends of said links for engaging each other, and means intermediate the pivoted points of said links for moving said links when engaged in angular relation to draw said pedestal sections together.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES W. MUN Z.

Witnesses:

NELLIE KINSELLA, JAMES P. BARRY. 

